Chapter 4

Territories are a major part of the supernatural. With each pantheon having its territory all around the world. I don't know exactly where other pantheons rule but I do know few. Like the Norse, Greek and Roman mythologies have territories in Europe. Many territories are called neutral territories. It is a no-fight zone between Factions.

Neutral territories are more prevalent with the biblical faction because of their armistice. It is a place where peace is to be expected despite the tensions among the three factions. The governors of these territories are people from one of the three biblical factions. In Japan, Kuoh town is the neutral territory. The church also exists there, mostly living in peace.

Some territories in Japan are owned by devils. Like Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, who is a reincarnated servant of the Gremory household, owns a place in Japan near Kuoh town. Sitri household seems to have a territory in Japan as well. But the rest of Japan is the territory of the youkai and the five principal clans.

Speaking of which, I have been doing business with the clans. Mostly Nakiri and Doumon clans. Their rewards were generous, to say the least. I wanted to travel around the world to collect information on martial arts to improve my skills and I was a bit surprised to know that they had it. I also got a spatial magic book from them. It was more of the basics of a teleportation spell but I was fine with it.

Today it seems the Himejima clan is hiring my Magical Child Mercenary services. I know it sounds like some illegal practice but I assure you morality is thrown out the window when you become part of this world. The freedom is also rather refreshing.

I started getting ready for my mission. I wore the armor I crafted from the ores and the remains of the monsters in the dungeon. I learned blacksmithing as much as I could to produce amazing equipment but I also learned alchemy to know more and improve the inner composition of the equipment using transmutation.

The armor itself looks simple and very easy to move in. I wore this armor under my enchanted white T-shirt and black pants made from spider silk material. It's very elastic and durable. These clothes combined with my armour offered me incredible magic resistance and protection. As of now, I haven't learned the proper way to enchant the Equipment but they are still amazing.

I wore my black long coat which is also magically enchanted. I looked at myself in the mirror. I had short black hair and deep blue eyes with sharp defined features. I wore a black long coat over my white T-shirt, with the armor hidden inside, and also wore black pants with leather greaves. Overall not a bad look. I mean I don't have the best fashion sense but I ain't doing a beauty pageant with the stray devils. Fashion is not something that I have in my mind. So I took it simple.

I looked at the mirror again before stopping myself from punching the damn mirror. The problem was that I was still a child. I hated that. I am just waiting to grow up from this small height. It also limits my reach with weapons. I was easily able to compensate for that deficit while taking advantage of my small height. But at this point, I just don't want to do that. It's also the reason why I don't stay in that dungeon for longer times now.

After ranting to myself I start my teleportation spell. I have met with the head of the clan himself. In almost all of my missions, I just met with their servants who would inform me about the mission. But for important missions, the heads of the clans meet with me directly.

It is still fun to look at their faces when they see a 9-year-old child coming for the missions. It's even more funny to see their reactions after I finish the missions flawlessly. Just the disbelief in their eyes when they see someone so young capably finish their missions. Well, the Nakiri clan head was a young handsome guy in his teens, he was probably the only one willing to be more communicative with me. He was also the only one who asked me to join their clan. Of course, I refused despite the enormous benefits he was willing to give.

The teleportation spell just took only a second to finish. The glow of the spell lowered as my surroundings changed. I looked around to see, only to find myself in the middle of the forest. After sensing multiple presences, I disappeared in that direction before reappearing behind the tree. I saw many Devils and fallen angels and a few servants of the Himejima clan disguised. Most of them were low class and while I saw 2 high-class devils and 1 ultimate-class fallen angel. I walked towards them while giving away my presence. All of them looked at me with no seriousness. The servant of the clan walked to me.

He looked at me dead straight. "We are up against a stray fallen angel. We speculate that the threat would be at least ultimate class. Your mission is to keep a look out for any incoming danger in this area while we take care of the stray inside the place."

"What is it that I am up against? Is it a threat that great?" I ask with some doubt

He walked up ahead without waiting for a reply, while the rest followed behind him. He lied to me. Discerning emotions. Learning the truth from the lies is also another thing I learned to do. I knew for a fact that he wanted me to be the bait for this danger that he expected would come. But what kind of stray would there be in such a peaceful place? I learned to do many things while hunting for strays. I learned to track these creatures through my physical senses alone. Then I would search the whole area with clairvoyance. Then using mana sensitivity I would derive the location of the stray. It's a simple process.

I concealed my presence and started following through the trees without making any sounds. I rested on a branch of a tree while still hiding. I reached the place which they were looking for. This place seems to have many strong barriers. Without any regard for alarm, I see him walking through while breaking the barriers towards the place behind the shrine. After I moved ahead and saw a small wooden house.

The rest of them surrounded the house while the clan servant walked into the wooden house breaking down the door with his strength. He walked in while shouting. I increase my senses to its limits to hear what is happening in the house. I could hear someone shouting. Then I heard a small scared whisper come through to me like a prayer wishing for a miracle. "Help us please."

Pure blue Lightning coursed through every inch of my body. The world slowed down while I sped up. I ran through the followers while using all the experiences and techniques I developed concerning movement. I rushed through the door and came across a scene that made me erupt in anger. A black-haired woman was protecting a similarly looking black-haired little girl who was shivering in the woman's embrace. Across them was the Himejima servant who was brandishing his sword before bringing it down to strike them.

I intercept the strike while bringing out a pure black katana with a steel grey edge. A resounding clash between steel was heard throughout the area. I looked up at his widening eyes as the world sped up.

"You scum" I growled out.

"Eh?". The little girl behind me voiced out.

After looking at me with disbelief, the servant erupted with anger. "You?! Didn't I tell you to look out for Barakiel and intercept if he comes?!! Why are you here?"

I looked up at him in condescension. "You know discerning lies from the truth is the first thing I learned so that deceptive people like you can't get away by fooling me. What are doing here?"

He righteously looked at me. "I told you I am here to slay the stray. Himejima clan can't tolerate our blood mixing with the blood of other races." The girl whimpered into her mother's embrace. The mother harshly spoke up against the claim as she tightly held on to the little girl.

"I cut off all my ties to the clan when I married Barakiel. And don't you dare talk bad about Akeno". The mother argued.

"Shuri, I am still giving you the option to come back to the clan despite your filthy relationship. And yet you want to throw it away for some half-breed." At this point, I interrupt this pointless conversation.

"Can you just stop it with your 'holier than thou' attitude? You called me here saying that you are here to slay some fierce stray. But..." I turned around and looked at the black-haired little girl.

"You want me to believe that the crazy stray you were here to slay was this little girl. She looks like she couldn't hurt a fly even if she wanted to." I looked at him while pointing at the wide-eyed girl.

"Eh? Eh??" Can she say anything else.

"Fufu.." The mother laughed elegantly despite the situation.

"Hmph..... All of them are like that. Don't be deceived by their appea-" I kicked him right in his stomach as he was speaking. He flew right out of the house. I heard the followers shouting.

I walked outside while speaking. "I don't like to speak while fighting." I saw the crowd gathered around The servant as he was getting up. The devils ran at me with their swords. Each one of them tried to consecutively strike me.

I saw the attacks coming while I took a stance with my katana as they came at me. I started to fluidly move around them while parrying each strike and returned to attack them with force. I danced through each strike I made with utmost fluidity and efficiency. To finish this fight quickly I enhanced myself with lightning and pierced all of them in their hearts. The devils and fallen angels fell very quickly. The only people left were the ultimate class fallen and the servant from the clan. The fallen seemed to have hidden himself.

"Do you still have more to speak?" I ask him sarcastically.

"Do you have any idea what you doing right now? If you protect them, then I will declare you as an enemy of the Himejima clan. Then you will have nowhere to run in Japan." He spoke with an undertone of a threat.

I snickered a little at his threat. "Did you think you scared me with that stupid threat? You know I am genuinely surprised that the reasonable Himejima clan became a lunatic with no sense of reasoning in this situation?"

"What do you know!?! Shuri was the one with the highest potential to wield our clan's sacred beast. But she gave no regard for the clan that raised her when she ran away with that fallen. Then we got the information that she gave birth to his abomination of a daughter. It drove us crazy that our clan blood is now poisoned by some fallen blood." He explained to me as his eyes turned red with a little craze.

"What is it with clans and shitty traditions? As times change, situations will also change. You need to have better traditions. I see nothing wrong with that story other than the crazy person who is obsessed with the clan's success." I speak in exasperation.

This seems to be a common story in this world. Two people from different races fall in love with each other despite the condemnation they get. I am pretty sure there are a lot of people like this in the supernatural. I was interrupted by an attack.

I parried and countered each strike. In close-quarters combat, my defense always stays impenetrable. We danced with our blades but as time went on, more injuries started to collect on the servant. He looked around in desperation and saw Akeno peeking outside the house. Mana ran through his body as flames picked up around him. He sent his strongest fire he could toward Akeno's direction. Shuri screamed at Akeno to get back.

At the last second, I came in between the attack and intercepted it by deploying a blue translucent barrier which dispersed the flames completely. "Pretty." I hear the girl whisper while looking at the barrier. I turned back and looked at her. "Idiot girl, what are doing outside? Go inside now, it isn't safe out here." I took out a Blue jewel and placed it on the ground and activated a strong bounded field around the house. The little girl ran inside the house to her mother.

I turned around to see the servant coming at me in a desperate attempt. I dodge the attack with ease and behead the servant. I ignore the corpse before looking at the forest where that ultimate class seems to have hidden himself. I raised my hand and let out a lightning pillar to the place where he was hiding. Then someone jumps out from the shadows and heads towards me with speed.

Finally a challenge. My first ultimate-class opponent. I intercept the light spear with my katana, slashing it in half. He starts to send a barrage of light constructs. He was trying to keep his distance. Seems like he studied me well. But that wasn't going to take me down. I slice the barrages with grace. As soon as the last one hit, I exchanged my katana with a beautiful black western bow(Emiya's bow) and started to shoot arrows enhanced by lightning.

This bow worked with the concept of a railgun. So each strike would have deadly penetrative blows. The railgun arrows intercepted the light spears. I struck him near his lungs. I could see through the lights and explosions. He finally comes to fight in close combat while creating two light swords. I took out the katana in time to intercept. I start to fight him. Each of our strikes contained deadly force. I enhance myself and my katana with lightning.

At this point I slowly overpowered him. My physique is truly starting to shine. I am not only keeping up with an Ultimate class. I'm also overpowering him. Realising that the end was coming close he starts to fight in the air trying to gain an advantage. But that didn't stop me. I could create constructs of mana to give me a footing in the air. After putting up a hopeless fight, he attempts to flee. But a pillar of lightning intercepted and completely engulfed him.

Realizing that Barakiel was finally here. I relax. While sitting on the ground. I had built up quite a sweat. But I was still without wounds. A large figure emerged from the night sky and descended near the little house. The bounded field dispersed while letting him into the house. I could hear the cries of relief. I smiled to myself as I got up from the ground. I looked around and saw the bloody mess of corpses. I used my remaining magic to clear up the mess. After I finished I heard someone speak to me.

"Thank you for saving my family young man. If it wasn't for you, I would never be able to meet my family again." Barakiel said to me.

I looked up and saw the small family looking at me with gratitude. I shook my head. "You don't have to thank me. These people hired me to deal with your family in the first place. While I may have become ruthless because of this world. I still know to differ from the right and wrong."

Shuri bowed to me elegantly. "Nevertheless you saved my child from them. I am very grateful for your actions."

I looked at the trio who were bowing in gratitude and sighed. "You're welcome. Although I think you guys should get going, I don't know when these guys can strike again."

Barakiel looks at me and then at his family and sighs. "I thought that staying away from their territory would be enough to keep them away but I guess I am still too naive to think like that. Grigori HQ can accommodate us but the way factions within the organization are getting stirred up I wouldn't trust my people to safeguard me let alone my family."

He looks like he does have his problems. I gave him a suggestion. "Why don't you try contacting the noble devils in the nearby territories? While some devils are questionable by nature, the Sitri and Gremory families seem to be diplomatic enough to establish relations. If you still can't trust them, then you can sign a contract with their families for favors. A cadre of the fallen angels is a worthwhile contact, especially one as powerful as you."

He looks at me and tells me. "Why don't we discuss this inside? I want to ask a few questions if you don't mind."